Good Morning
by Ella24
Summary: "Good morning"  A simple sentence he heard too often from the other Noahs and the servants on his Mansion yet this one – it shakes him...
1. Chapter 1

"Good Morning"…

The sentence snapped the Millenium Earl from his daily dilly-dallying while trying to find yet another lost soul wanting to revive their loved ones. The vision he received from the akuma he sent to attack the order sent a shiver to his spine. It has been a long time since he feels like this. A simple sentence he heard too often from the other Noahs and the servants on his Mansion yet this one – it shakes him.

The fourteenth… he's finally back. Back in the personification of Allen Walker. The exorcist he hated with passion. And yet, he found himself protecting him over and over again. Was this the reason why?

He hated the fourteenth with the same passion back then as well. Yet he cannot help but enjoying the fourteenth existence while he was by his side. He wanted the fourteenth to always be by his side.

He lived for several millennia before the first cube attack and being the first apostle, he came to a conclusion that there is one emotional trait he will always lack. For all other emotions he could lacks, this one he actually feel grateful of – if that's what you would call it. Without it, he would never feel chained for family ties are different matters from the emotion that often binds at the cost of one's life and distress.

Then he met him. An innocence wielder who worked subtly, unlike his predecessors. He infiltrated the rank quite easily – the only non-noah who managed to gain his respect for despite all the deceptions, fears, and irritations most Noah would cause, he always kept a level-headed approach in everything he did.

It started out as a game for him for by the time he realized what had happened, two of his family members were already attached to the innocence wielder. Killing the wielder immediately would create friction within the family as two of the Noahs were loved by one or two other members of the family. And thus, the game of cat and mouse begins as he attempt to drive out the intruder.

He fell for the intruder instead.

He would never know what he felt about him however. For all the nights they spent together, he never knows what the wielder thought. It drove him mad. He never thought he could be that gentle to somebody before – to want to protect with all his might. His life, on the other hand… how do you get rid of a life that could never be gotten rid of in the first place? He does not subscribe to the philosophy that he has to suffer to let the other be free yet he does not want to let go.

And so he kept a blind eye – continuing to wistfully daydream that he wielder would fell the same way he did, resulting in a perfect conclusion, while at the same time, anticipating the miserable conclusion that is long time coming.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time he heard the music, he thought he finally knew what the real God's angels' voice sounds like. A beautiful melody that soothed his turbulent soul. He did not know how long he spent creating it or if it's just a whim that created the masterpiece. Regardless, he knew he wanted to keep it for himself for he realized that this is the first time he saw the player smiled peacefully. For a fleeting second, he wished he had the ability to freeze time – to remain in the moment forever. He decided at that point to make him his and his alone.

Apostles and Noahs are not made; they just exist. Or so he used to think. In the end, desperation is the root of innovation – even for him.

He was the first and thus, the power of immortality and in a sense, omnipotence was granted to him. He felt suffocated when he decided to proceed with his plan. The player had chained him and now, he would chain the player. It was the first and the last for him…..

The second time he heard the music was several months after it occurred. The player played the same beautiful melodies yet this time…, it was more haunting. A pond of clear liquid gathered underneath his eyes and for a moment, he thought he saw a blurry vision of the player's sad smile. He blinked once then twice. By the time they went away, he could no longer comprehend the emotions on the other's face.

* Thanks for the reviews =) Definitely appreciate you guys' comments - giving extra motivations for completing my first fiction =P For the Earl, I was thinking of his wanderer or the noble version as opposed to the usual one ^_^ Hope that lessen the blow =P


	3. Chapter 3

The attack happened suddenly but not unexpectedly.

He supposed he was to be blamed for it. He sacrificed most of his power to ensure the being of the other. Molecular cells regeneration and forcing one's being into another is one thing; keeping up with one's natural personalities is another. Erasing that aspect would defeat the whole purpose of what he did. He knew he made a huge gamble the day he made the player became the fourteenth Noah and he would repeat it given the chance.

The fourteenth's personality never changed. So much that he no longer knew if he was simply optimistic, kind-hearted, stoic, imaginatively mischievous or calculative in everything that he did. Regret was never on his book however and he fooled himself to think that acceptance and making the best provided the circumstance was what the other had done. "Oh how the mighty had fallen" was what some Noah had jokingly said. But he was the first and no matter how he fell, he was still the head of the family and he did what was necessary to ensure the fourteenth never have any incentive to leave his side.

He enjoyed what he thought what was finally given to him during those times. Given that destructions and terrors are what he was supposedly in charge of, he was surprised how he longed for the peaceful minutes spent with the fourteenth. Minutes turned to hours; hours turned to days; days to weeks; weeks to months; months to years and before he knew it, he relished the familiarity whenever they spent time together. He thought he was finally his. Living for millennia had taught him patience and he finally reaped his long coming reward.

Then it finally happened. 108 innocence wielders arrived uninvited on his ark one day. Despite the barriers he had in place, despite the protections he placed on his family members... One by one, he sensed their life forces weaken. All but him.

When he found him, he looked at him and wanted to ask him why…but he won't. He already knew…., knew from the beginning that it would all came down to this. As the ark fell; he watched the fourteenth smiled gently and tenderly to him - a smile unlike any other he received before.

The third time he heard the music, the fourteenth told him that given any other circumstances, he would have stayed by his side forever. Unfortunately, his heart is not just his. The God has blessed him with the heart of the innocence and that is something neither Noah's blood nor heart could take over – not even his. Just as only one path was given to the first apostle, only one path is given to him.

The third time he heard the music, he told the fourteenth that he would forever wait for him. Eternity and immortality could come in handy and he would attempt to open up new paths for him no matter what. Paths that would lead him to his side in the end.

The third time he heard the music, he saw for the first and last time tears came down from his eyes. As he fell into a deep slumber, he thought he heard him say softly "Only in afterlife could we be side by side forever".

He knew when he woke up, the only one who ever fill the void he did not know he had will no longer be there.

* * *

"Earl… why… why do you want to take Allen with you so badly? Even if he is the 14th Noah, doesn't that make him the enemy who tried to kill you?"

"Why….?" "By his side….; I want to be by the 14th's side..."

* * *

"I wanted to tell you….. that I'd come back," he told him. "This time, I will kill you."

If only things could be that simple…..

"Is that your wish, fourteenth?"

* Disclaimer - story best read while "Tsunaida Te ni Kiss Wo" is playing on the background =)  
** Is it just me or formatting the preview document is kinda frustrating? Everytime I put a single line break (using enter or shift+enter key, it deletes the empty line after I save). A well..., it's still a good community though =) Any suggestion for other good earl/allen story out there?


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